


Just One Touch (Is Never Enough)

by kazul9



Category: Yuri!!! on Ice (Anime)
Genre: 5+1 Things, And that's it that's the fic, Comfort, Cuddles, Hugs, M/M, Touch-Starved Victor Nikiforov, Victor is a ridiculous love-struck goober, but so is Yuuri
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-26
Updated: 2020-11-26
Packaged: 2021-03-10 02:08:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,475
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27725953
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kazul9/pseuds/kazul9
Summary: The five ridiculous ways that Victor finds a way to touch or be touched by Yuuri, plus one time the tables are turned.(Nothing out of the ordinary here, just some good ol’ fashioned touch-starved Vitya goodness (with a side of Yuuri falling in love with Victor for who he is, for good measure))
Relationships: Katsuki Yuuri/Victor Nikiforov
Comments: 58
Kudos: 518





	Just One Touch (Is Never Enough)

1.

It’s weird.

Yuuri’s watched Victor Nikiforov his entire life, he’s seen every video, he’s read every article. It’s been how he survived moving overseas, Victor a constant comfort that never changed. Honestly, he’s surprised that part of Yuuri hasn’t scared Victor away. Victor’s long since figured out about the posters—Yuuri almost murdered Mari—and Vicchan’s real name, and it’s _so creepy_ and it terrified Yuuri… but it seems like all that almost made Victor happy?

Still. After all of the knowledge Yuuri’s absorbed through the years, every single drop, he’s never heard about how _touchy_ Victor Nikiforov is.

Victor’s not normally as touchy as he was that first day he came to Japan, which is good. Yuuri still remembers and thinks _way_ too much about Victor leaning in close, asking to learn more about Yuuri with hooded eyes and that tone to his voice and—

Yuuri’s cheeks go hot and red at just the thought.

“Yuuri! Are you all right?” Victor skates up to him, placing a hand on Yuuri’s shoulder and making him squeak, his flush only growing deeper.

“Fine! I’m fine!” At least, Yuuri thinks he is. Maybe. For right now. Though at this rate he’s going to have a heart attack. It was easy to know exactly how he felt about his idol when he was exactly that: just his idol. A face smiling down at him from a poster, an inspiration to look up to. 

And it’s not that Yuuri doesn’t want to be around Victor after knowing him for a while now—in fact, he kinda wants to be around him _more_. But Yuuri doesn’t know why Victor showed up at his onsen after seeing a dumb video, he doesn’t understand any of it. All he can do is be grateful for every second that he has of Victor’s time.

But he’s also overwhelmed.

Very, _very_ overwhelmed.

Victor squeezes Yuuri’s shoulder and leans in a little closer, almost like he’s spurred on by Yuuri’s ridiculous reactions, and Yuuri is—he just can’t—

“W-why are you touching me so much?” Yuuri stutters out and pulls away before he even thinks about it, and then he’s not sure if he wants an answer or he’d rather just crawl under the ice and live there for the rest of his life.

Victor’s smile falters, just a little, before sliding back into place. Yuuri probably wouldn’t have even noticed when Victor got there, but now he knows him well enough now and there’s a small, warm prick of pride in his chest at the realization. “To show you and guide you, of course!” Victor tilts his head. “Is that not a good enough reason?”

“I— no? I mean, maybe.” Yuuri shakes his head, like that’ll help him clear it. “Celestino didn’t… He didn’t touch us much other than a pat on the shoulder, or correcting something we weren’t getting.” Before that Minako had mainly acted as his coach, and yeah she guided him along with touch sometimes. But that was different. She’s been hefting him around since he was a baby, he didn’t even notice that. But then, why would this be different? They’re both professionals...

And, well, Victor’s touches are to the point, yeah, but they’re different. Or at least they _feel_ different. Maybe that’s all in Yuuri’s head, though. It probably is.

But what if it _isn’t_?

Victor’s smile doesn’t falter this time. “Well, he was a terrible coach for you!”

Yuuri splutters before he spends a second glaring at Victor. “Celestino is not a _bad coach_.”

“I didn’t say that, _Yuuri_.” Victor leans in to touch him, probably going for the lip again, a small thrill running through Yuuri—

But Victor hesitates, and then lets his hand drop.

And Yuuri’s heart drops with it. Oh no. Yuuri shouldn’t have said anything. But it… he just _doesn’t understand_. And he wants to.

“I never said he was a bad coach overall. Many of his students flourish to come and nip at my heels. But he never pushed you.” Victor raises his hand, cutting off Yuuri’s protest before it can leave his lips. “He did good things for you, but he never took advantage of your musicality and your stamina like _I_ intend to.”

A shiver runs through Yuuri at that—but this he’s definitely reading too much into it. If Victor meant it like that, well…

No, not thinking about that _now_. Yuuri clears his throat. “He… He got me into the Grand Prix Final with his coaching.”

“And I will help you _win_ the Grand Prix Final with mine.” Victor smiles widely, and Yuuri can’t help but frown as his stomach twists. He’s so sure that Yuuri can do this, but he only just barely defeated Yurio at the Onsen on Ice event, and Yurio’s a fifteen-year-old kid. He’s going to go up again him again, and Chris, and JJ, and other, much more competent skaters this season.

Victor’s _so sure_ that Yuuri will win if he just tries hard enough, like all of his flaws and anxieties will go away just like that. Like saying they won’t matter will actually make them not matter.

But, if Yuuri thinks about it, Victor’s mindset makes sense. Why would Victor know what that’s like? He’s never even had a _chance_ of losing anything for years. He’s never had any dumb, stupid flaws like anxiety.

So… Yuuri just has to try his best. He can’t let Victor down. 

“Yuuri.” Victor’s voice is… different, now. It’s lost the teasing edge it always seems to have, instead a little softer, making Yuuri lean in closer before he even thinks about it. “I’ll stop if you ask me to. I enjoy coaching you this way, but our relationship is a partnership first and foremost. We need to work together to make this work, and that means I’ll do whatever I need to when catering to how you learn. Including a hands-off approach.”

Yuuri has half a mind to ask where he even _learned_ to teach like he does, considering he’s never seen Yakov coach like this and Yuuri’s watched a _lot_ of videos with Yakov and Victor in them.

But the question is pulled from his lips once he sees Victor’s face. Again, it’s something that he wouldn’t have noticed in the first few weeks Victor was here, but now…

Maybe it’s the way that Victor’s eyes droop, or how strained the corners of his mouth are, or how he just doesn’t quite meet Yuuri’s eye. But Yuuri knows he’s sad. Maybe it could be disappointment, maybe frustration, but something in Yuuri says that it isn’t just that.

But why would Victor Nikiforov be sad? About this?

Yuuri can’t say that the sadness on Victor’s face doesn’t influence his decision, but he also remembers how he’d wanted Victor to touch him earlier and how much it stung when he didn’t.

So Yuuri shakes his head rapidly, waving his hands. “No! No, it’s fine, I just. I’m not used to it is all, it’s fine, you’re fine.”

Something on Victor’s face relaxes, his smile a little more earnest. “All right, _Yuuri_. Now back to work! No more slacking off, we have programs to polish!”

Yuuri nods, smiling a little before getting back to work.

Despite what Victor said, though, he touches Yuuri less in practice after the conversation. Yuuri laments ever bringing it up at all, no matter how much he’d needed to talk about it and try to understand. 

Except, Yuuri can’t complain _too_ much. Because Victor might keep his hands off him a little more on the ice, but...

2.

Yuuri hears a scream from down the hall.

He barrels out of his room with Makka at his heels—she’s been spending a lot of time napping with Yuuri lately, Victor won’t stop whining about it and it’s a little cute if Yuuri’s being totally honest with himself—sprinting to the banquet room and slamming the doors open.

“Victor, are you okay?”

Makka trots past where Yuuri stands, hopping up on the bed beside Victor. Victor, for his part, is thankfully alive and not brutally murdered in his bed. Though, really, Yuuri doesn’t know if anyone’s ever been murdered in Hasetsu of all places. He’s been in Detroit for way too long.

But instead of some horrific situation, Victor’s huddled beneath his bedsheets, only his face sticking out, and his eyes wide with… something.

“ _Yuuri_!” Victor juts his arms out wide from underneath the blankets, reaching out for Yuuri.

Yuuri doesn’t even think about it, stepping forward and wrapping his arms around Victor—then his brain catches up to him. Yuuri’s not even a touchy kind of person. He doesn’t mind friendly hugs and touches sometimes but he’s never just… _reacted_ like this before.

A part of him doesn’t want to think about how maybe he kind of misses Victor’s touch now that he’s been a little less hands-on, but his brain brings it up anyway. Yuuri hates his brain.

Especially when _this_ isn’t professional, especially after a few awkward seconds pass by and Victor barely reacts. Yuuri goes to pull away—and then Victor’s arms are wrapped tight around him, tugging him forward until Yuuri’s enveloped in the blankets and Victor’s arms, sitting next to him and… staring at a laptop screen with Victor.

Makkachin settles next to them as Yuuri narrows his eyes at the screen, trying to make it out—he’d taken his glasses off in his room.

“Were you watching something scary?” Yuuri asks while he tries to get his eyes to focus and make sense of things. “Is that why you screamed?”

“Yep,” Victor says with such confidence and pride that Yuuri immediately narrows his eyes further.

Now that Yuuri’s really paying attention, it’s definitely animated. In fact, it’s anime, the Japanese voices floating to Yuuri’s ears, English subtitles flowing across the screen… and Yuuri knows this one. It’s a popular one from when he was a kid. _For_ kids.

Yuuri frowns. “Victor, this is _not_ scary.” Like, not even remotely. Sure, there’s some action and drama, but _scary_? No.

“But there’s a monster!” It would be much easier to believe that Victor’s scared if there wasn’t an obvious smile in his voice. “There! See?”

Yuuri barely holds back a snort. “You mean the _talking cat_?”

“Exactly! It’s not _natural_ , Yuuri!” Victor clutches Yuuri tighter, and Makkachin gives some lazy tail wags before _boof_ ing as if she’s agreeing with Victor.

Yuuri glares at her. _Traitor_. “I guess we won’t be watching any real horror movies, then. If you can’t handle talking cats, you don’t want to see Japanese horror films.”

Victor gasps and, somehow, impossibly, clutches Yuuri _tighter_ , like that’s the first really scary thing he’s heard all night. “But I _love_ horror movies. I just get scared when I watch them alone!”

But is it because Victor’s actually scared, or because he wants to cling to Yuuri?

Yuuri jumps a little at the thought. No, that’s not possible. That’s _ridiculous_.

“ _See_?” Victor presses the side of his face against Yuuri’s shoulder. “I told you it was scary!”

Yuuri doesn’t bother to correct him, that it’s his own mind scaring him, not the movie. He should probably stop this before he gets thoughts or expectations about this whole situation.

Except… Victor doesn’t seem to hate it? And Yuuri doesn’t either. He likes the warmth of Victor against him. He likes hearing his small breaths and quiet gasps as the plot in the anime develops. It’s weird to see him like this after so many years of Victor being practically a god to Yuuri.

But he’s not that. He’s just a human, somehow. Just like the rest of them.

Besides, it’s not like Victor does this all the time. Yuuri can’t to get too attached to it. Victor hasn’t been all over Yuuri at the onsen since that weird first day, though maybe he’s starting to get a _little_ more touchy at home. Yuuri might not understand exactly what’s going on, but as well enjoy this moment while it lasts.

So he settles a little next to Victor, and very purposely ignores the way that Victor’s voice hitches as Yuuri’s weight settles on him.

It’s weird, but it means nothing. Because if it _does_ means something...

3.

“Yuuri!”

Yuuri skids to a stop, holding an arm above his head like that will help with the torrential rains. He’s already taken off his glasses and put them into his pocket, considering them a lost cause. He _told_ Victor it was going to rain today and they should have taken the onsen’s van, but he hates the thing for some reason, and when Yuuri pushed the issue, Victor got this gleam in his eye…

Okay, no, not the time to think about how ridiculous Victor is. “What?”

“ _Yuuri_ ,” Victor whines louder, loud enough to be heard over the pounding rain, trying to bat his eyelashes despite looking like a wet dog. A very attractive wet dog, but a wet dog nonetheless. “There’s a puddle! My shoes will get _ruined_! I need help, _Yuuri_.”

Yuuri’s jaw drops. Victor can’t… he’s _serious_? Yuuri doesn’t even know where to start with this. _Is_ there a place to start with this? Because they’re soaked. Yuuri’s standing there, torrential rain beating down on him, not really even caring because he’s so wet that he can’t even get any more soaked.

But he also knows Victor. He knows that Victor likes to think he’s subtle, but he doesn’t hide what he really wants too well. Yuuri can barely communicate how he’s feeling most days, but Victor couldn’t hide his moods if he _tried_ —or at least, that’s how he is around Yuuri. Yuuri sees the false smiles on his face when he talks to disappointed sponsors on the phone, when he calls Yakov yet again and he doesn’t pick up. He hides his feelings around them. But not Yuuri.

And Victor has been wanting… weird things, lately. It started with the “horror” movie and it’s only gotten _worse_. Yuuri blames the cheesy as hell romance novels that Victor reads putting ideas in his head. And the endless Russian soap operas. And those stupid Buzzfeed quizzes he keeps making Yuuri take—

Well, it doesn’t matter. None of it matters because Victor wants _something_ but won’t tell Yuuri _what_ , and Yuuri just wants to go home and get dry so Victor can play his weird mind games in the warm quiet of Yu-topia over a cup of tea.

So Yuuri does the only thing he can think of. 

He walks forward, ignoring the start of Victor saying his name with a question on his lips—really, Yuuri should _not_ love with all the ways that Victor says his name, but he _does_ —and places an arm behind Victor’s knees, knocking him off balance and scooping him up and jogging down the street.

Victor’s arms wrap around Yuuri’s shoulders tightly, and Yuuri tries not to think too very hard on how breathless Victor sounds when he says, “Wow! Yuuri, you’re _amazing_.”

No, he’s not amazing. He just wants to go _home_ , and if he acknowledges Victor’s words, that means paying attention to the dark pink flush across Victor’s cheeks and his nose, and how wide and… and almost _adoring_ that Victor’s eyes look as they stay locked on Yuuri’s face.

Maybe if he keeps surprising Victor instead of doing what he wants, he’ll stop playing these ridiculous games.

4.

“ _Yuuri_!”

Yuuri knows that tone of voice. He knows it _intimately._ And he’s never sure if he should dread or look forward to what Victor says next.

“Yes, Victor?” Yuuri leans back against the wall, glancing up from his phone to look at Victor—and is brutally reminded why he brought out his phone to distract him in the first place.

Victor _cannot_ wear a jinbei how he’s supposed to. It’s physically impossible. And the hotter the summer gets, the less and less skin gets covered by the flimsy fabric. Today Victor didn’t even _try_. He’s laying in front of the only fan in the room, slightly sweaty in that attractive way only Victor seems to be able to pull off, hair artfully disheveled, and the killing blow is his chest is on _full display_. You know, Yuuri didn’t really think he had a thing for Victor’s chest—just for Victor in general, which is still true, somehow even _more_ true as he gets to know this ridiculous man—but after seeing _so much of it_ , the epitome of temptation, just _asking_ for Yuuri to touch, to even _taste_ —

”Yuuri?” Concern furrows Victor’s brow.

“Um, yeah?” Yuuri’s face goes bright red, and he hopes that Victor just chalks it up to Yuuri being overheated. Even though he doesn’t get overheated like Victor does. It’s _fine_.

“I’m cold.” Victor pouts out his lips and holds out his arms. “And they say that sharing body heat is the best way to warm up, you know. Will you share your body heat with me?”

Yuuri’s brain screeches to a halt—something that Victor seems to keep finding new and more interesting ways to accomplish with each passing day. Yuuri keeps thinking he’s getting more and more used to Victor’s presence in his life, his weird quirks and the way that he somehow impossibly and seamlessly fits into Yuuri’s life.

And then Victor does stupid stuff like _this_.

Victor’s sweating. He’s literally _sweating_. His cheeks have a light flush. He’s been complaining about the heat _all day_. Even Makkachin’s protesting, laying on her back with her legs sprawled, tongue lolling out.

Yuuri’d hoped that things would change after that time he carried Victor home, and oh, it did. But not how he expected it to. Victor almost seems to use _any_ reason to touch Yuuri now. Like… like he _needs_ it. And Victor doesn’t do this with the rest of his family. He doesn’t even do it with Makkachin.

Only Yuuri.

And Yuuri doesn’t understand _why_.

He once thought that Victor was more perfect that Yuuri could ever be, but you know what? This man is more ridiculous than anyone that Yuuri’s ever known. That list including drunk Phichit.

And even though it’s the hottest it’s been all summer, even though Yuuri would rather know the _actual_ reason that Victor craves Yuuri’s touch so much, he can never deny Victor. They both know that.

So Yuuri gets up, shuffles over with as much grace as he can in this ridiculous heat—which is to say: none—and practically collapses on top of Victor.

Any normal person would protest that Yuuri should be more careful, but Victor doesn’t. Victor just gives a soft, shaking breath and wraps his arms around Yuuri as tightly as he can.

And Yuuri still doesn’t understand… but he _wants_ to.

5.

“Yuuri?”

Yeah, Yuuri knows the hundreds of ways that Victor seems to love to say his name—but Yuuri’s never heard this tone before.

It probably doesn’t help that it’s the middle of the night, and Victor’s just flipped on the lights and Yuuri’s pretty much blind. But he has to wonder if part of that’s on purpose because Victor’s voice sounds… delicate. Almost broken?

Yuuri blinks until his eyes start to adjust to the brightness. “Victor?”

“Makkachin had a nightmare,” Victor murmurs, and he sounds _exhausted_.

Now that Yuuri can kinda see, he can make out how Makka hangs from Victor’s arms like a limp teddy bear, tail wagging slowly but happily to be in Yuuri’s room. And there are circles under Victor’s eyes, his hair all messed and mussed up in a way that isn’t purposeful, in a way that makes Yuuri want to reach out and straighten it out for him. And the rums of Victor’s eyes are red.

Like he’s been crying.

Yuuri doesn’t ask questions, he doesn’t need to. He’s dense and he’s sleepy, but he’s not stupid. Makkachin isn’t the miserable one here. So he opens up his arms and reaches toward Victor, a clear invitation.

Victor waddles forward with how he’s carrying Makkachin, depositing her in Yuuri’s arms and hesitating.

Yuuri grabs Victor’s wrist and tugs him down toward the bed. “She’d feel better with a hug from both of us. Safer. I think.”

For a moment Victor stands there, and Yuuri very purposefully ignores the way that Victor blinks rapidly and sniffs softly as he nods, coming down to lie on the bed, sandwiching Makkachin between them, much to her delight.

The bed is way too small for this. Or at least it _should_ be. Yuuri has a feeling it’s perfect for right here and right now. Because Victor tries to settle, tries to keep his limbs to himself, but Yuuri’s too tired to really care when he knows what Victor needs. He wiggles his arms around Makkachin, adjusting until he’s holding Victor and Make both—and Victor settles. He reaches out and clutches Yuuri with an emotion that Yuuri can’t even begin to fathom. 

And that’s alright. So long as Victor’s okay, it doesn’t matter. Yuuri can freak out about all this in the morning. But for now…

For now, this is nice.

This is _perfect_.

Yuuri’s last thought before he falls asleep is wondering when, exactly, he went from being so anxious about Victor’s touches to willingly and happily reaching out to Victor himself.

+1

There’s something up with Victor. It’s not that he really seems that _different_ , more like… Just that something’s _off_. Yuuri would say what he’s seeing in Victor is like his own anxiety when it’s just humming beneath the surface. Victor can’t focus. He’s listening but he’s not hearing. But instead of being jittery like Yuuri would be, he… he frowns more. The set of his shoulders is lower. He looks defeated.

After practice that day, they go and soak in the onsen, and Yuuri tries to start conversations with him, but Victor’s not as engaged as he usually is, and he’s quick to get out at head to his room.

Alone.

For him to get even more in his head.

Yuuri needs his space to come down from his anxiety, but when Victor has… whatever this is, he always seems to be the opposite. He seems to need people. He needs _touch._

But Victor’s never comfortable just asking for it. He always has to find excuses, and he’s so tired and defeated right now. And Yuuri hopes that someday Victor will be able to just ask, someday he’ll just be happy with taking Yuuri’s hand or hugging him whenever he needs it, even if just the thought makes Yuuri flush.

Still, if Yuuri can understand anything, it’s your mind being stubborn. He knows very well what it’s like not wanting to accept help when you feel you don’t deserve it.

So he gets out of the onsen shortly after Victor, taking his time getting dressed as he tries to _think_. He can’t just ask Victor directly. And Victor’s done so many ridiculous things over the past few months to get Yuuri to touch him, Yuuri could just re-use one of those… but that feels like cheating. He sighs, looking around—until his eyes land on something, just one of the onsen’s supplies left lying around.

But he snatches it up and practically runs up the stairs, only taking a moment to compose himself before he knocks on Victor’s door. “Victor? It’s me.”

“Yuuri? Come in.” Victor’s voice is missing a bit of his characteristic spark, and when Yuuri opens the door, Victor’s eyes are missing their brightness too. Something in Yuuri’s chest aches, and it must show on his face because Victor frowns and asks, “Are you okay?”

“Yes! I am, I just…” Yuuri clears his throat, taking a second to fiddle with what he’s holding, and then squares his shoulders. “Victor, my hands are tired.”

They’re…” Victor takes a moment to blink at him, glancing down at how Yuuri’s hands are fidgeting, obviously not tired—but it’s not like Victor’s excuses were ever believable, either. “What?”

“They’re tired.” Yuuri catches his eye and holds out his hand to show him the comb, hoping that Victor catches the hint. “Can you brush my hair?”

A small, crooked, broken little smile spreads across Victor’s face as his eyes grow a little wetter than before—but this smile’s the most real thing that Yuuri’s seen on his face in a while. “Of course, Yuuri. Come here.”

Yuuri shivers slightly as he walks forward. How Victor just said Yuuri’s name is one of his favorites. Well, Yuuri has a lot of favorites if he’s being honest, but his absolute favorites are the ones that are just for him. The ones that Victor only says when it’s just the two of them, when it’s only meant for Yuuri’s ears.

Victor sits him down at the edge of the bed, and he takes way too long to adjust how Yuuri’s sitting, with more touches than even remotely necessary—but Yuuri expected that. Then Victor kneels behind him, takes up the comb, and begins to brush Yuuri’s hair, and what Yuuri _didn’t_ expect was how nice that it felt to have his hair touched like this.

Yuuri hums his appreciation and Victor chuckles softly, keeping up the soft strokes. And really, Yuuri’s hair doesn’t need that much combing. A few strokes through and that’s it. It’s not like it keeps in any sort of shape unless Yuuri fights with it for hours. So after he deems that Victor’s brushed long enough, he lets himself lean back against Victor’s chest, melting into his touch.

“ _Yuuri_ ,” Victor scolds, even as he winds an arm around Yuuri’s torso, setting aside the comb to just run his fingers through Yuuri’s hair.

It’s crazy how much this would have freaked Yuuri out only a few months ago. But now he can’t imagine anything _but_ this. He doesn’t know how long he’ll have Victor’s time and attention, but he knows that so long as Victor needs this, he’ll give it to him.

In all honesty, Yuuri’s started to crave Victor’s touch, too. He’s not sure if it’s a good thing or a bad thing, but it’s definitely not a thing that he’s fighting.

“Thank you, Yuuri.” Victor murmurs into his hair, and… would it be so bad if Victor was placing a kiss there? If Yuuri didn’t deny it? He still doesn’t know how to feel about Victor being like this with Yuuri, _for_ Yuuri, but he can’t deny it anymore. He doesn’t want to. He’s not sure of a lot of things, but he’s sure about wanting more of whatever this is, even as it makes his head spin.

Yuuri smiles, glancing up at Victor to find his happiness reflected on Victor’s face. “Of course, Vitya.”

**Author's Note:**

> .02 seconds later Victor absolutely loses his shit and hug tackles Yuuri because that’s the first time he’s said “Vitya” and then bedsharing happens because why not THE END.
> 
> Anyway! I promised to post a fic when the Ice Ado trailer dropped [AND IT DID TODAY!](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Mk4Uykq5I8&feature=youtu.be) So here's some satisfied touch-starved Victor to soothe your YoI cravings. (Also I have a ton of other YoI works and two longer WIPs that update once a week if you wanna get hyped)


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